This potentiometer, an instrument used to measure direct current, was purchased by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) around 1905. It was given the name "gear shift potentiometer" by NBS electrochemistry researcher D. Norman Craig after its side levers used for changing the range. The instrument was used by Craig and George W. Vinal in the NBS Electrochemistry Section in the 1920s. Around 1941 Raymond P. Teele of the NBS Photometry Section used this potentiometer to measure and monitor the current in his standard carbon filament lamps.

Subject

Electricity

Keyword(s)

electrochemistry; photometry; voltage

Scientific Discipline

Electrical Engineering

Publications

Ray P. Teele, A physical photometer, 27 (2), 217-228 (1941) RP 1415.

Object Dimensions

16 x 50 x 28 cm

Rights

Use of the images from NIST Digital Archives is not restricted, but a statement of attribution is required. Please use the following attribution statement: "National Institute of Standards and Technology Digital Collections, Gaithersburg, MD 20899"